What to wear in India
If you’ve never been to India before, get ready! India is such a wonderful, beautiful, awe inspiring country. But as you’re getting ready for your journey, one of your first questions might be, What do I wear? What do I bring!? Don’t worry, I have you covered. Throughout this I’ll give you guidelines, and links to get what you need for cheap, most of the things are under $20. Just look for the underlined items and click for details.
First and foremost, leave the skimpy clothing at home. India is a fairly conservative country, aim to cover everything below the knees, and cleavage. I would avoid spaghetti straps, but tank tops are okay. It’s also okay to show your stomach. India’s traditional garb is the sari, use that as a guide. I loved this For Love and Lemons outfit I wore to the Taj Mahal. The For Love and Lemons Ethereal set was initially $300 plus but since it’s a few years older, you can find it for a steal on Amazon. Easily my favorite outfit I own.
India gets extremely hot and humid, so flowy pants will save your life. They are also a fun way to look cute, stay cool and be appropriate. I love these ones I got on Amazon for under $15.
I paired these with a simple crop top, and floppy hat. Entire outfit, under $50.
I also purchased these lightweight black pants, and paired with a flowy crop top from Amazon. These pants, I live in, and have worn multiple times back in the states. During your India adventure, I would avoid jeans, and shorts. Jeans you will sweat to death, and shorts might offend people, capris are okay tho.
So now that you have an idea what to wear up top, let’s talk shoes. As beautiful as India is, it is still a third world country. Walking down the street don’t be surprised if you see feces, glass, open wires, you name it. That’s why a good pair of walking shoes are imperative. In the above pictures, my first day in India, I wore open toe sandals my feet were cut up and indescribably dirty by the end of the day. The rest of the trip I wore closed toed shoes and was much happier. Don’t forget, you’ll be walking around a lot so comfort is key.
I loved these slip on sneakers I got with memory foam in the bottom, they saved my life!
When packing, I also knew I wanted to pay tribute to the traditional Indian Sari, but in my own way. I found this stunning dress, and got so many compliments. I wore it to dinner and never wanted to take it off.
I couldn’t find the exact one, I purchased but here’s a close one, that’s actually prettier haha.
Just remember, India is a very religious country- there are Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, all living and occupying the same space- make sure your outfit choices don’t offend them.
Rules to remember: Cover from the knee up, shoulders and stomach are okay, NO cleavage. Got questions? Leave them in the comments below and I’ll answer!
Here’s some more outfits I wore for inspiration:
